


In the Dark of the Night

by Papallion



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental Junkrat Inclusion, Cameos, Canon-Typical Violence, Halloween Terror Skins, Happy Ending, Humor, I did not mean to include this much Junkrat, M/M, R76FFASS2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28202715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Papallion/pseuds/Papallion
Summary: Immortal Jack is looking for his family, and somehow Scarecrow tags along.  He goes through many trials to find them, including an adventure underwater and a brawl with his own twin brother, Slasher 76.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Reaper76 Free For All Secret Santa 2020





	1. Immortal Jack

**Author's Note:**

  * For [petitecreame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/petitecreame/gifts).



> The Halloween skins are their own characters.
> 
> The characters use Darkglow, a vividly colored energy, to interact with their world. This can be formed into weapons, used to cast small spells, and is an indicator of their health. The brighter the glow, the stronger they are.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Immortal Jack is looking for his husband, the Headless Horseman, and will pummel his way through all of North America if he has to.

He was sometimes called The Immortal One, and he wished he wasn’t, right about now. Two punks were slamming their heels into his back, and he wasn’t a young man any more. One of the punks hit a recent bullet wound and Immortal Jack groaned when his belt dug into it. He might not be able to die, but he could still feel pain.

“Had enough, freak?” one of them asked and pulled back.

It gave the man the moment he needed. The Immortal reached over and snagged the other man’s foot and twisted, the loud crack of bone audible to everyone, before he stood up, tugged his jacket back into place, and turned to the others.

“Let’s try this again,” he said as his eyes glowed with the lights one saw when they took a crack to the back of the head. “Where is the shipment from Barcelona.” It was not a question. When they tried to run he simply misted ahead of them. “I don’t have all day!” he snarled as he materialized in front of a man with a Misfits jacket. The man had a recent burn on his face and a series of claw marks down his neck.

Someone slammed a pallet into his back and he sighed, gripped the pallet swinging man and turned, tossing him into the man behind him. He then grabbed the man in the Misfits jacket by his throat, and hefted him up. He sunk his teeth into his neck and drank. 

His meal writhed, screamed, and paled, then decayed into dust. 

Immortal Jack gave him a shake, and the clothes and dust tumbled to the ground. He looked at the Misfits jacket and decided it was too small. “More of a Ramones fan anyways,” he muttered and dropped it, then turned to the others. “The shipment.”

Two of the men ran, but the other sat on the floor, staring in fear. He babbled something, took a breath, and started again. “Los Muertos,” he squeaked out, and Jack nodded. “Plaza del Sol!”

He kicked at the man, sending him scampering away. “Fantastic,” he muttered to himself. He heard a thud and turned.

Scarecrow had cracked a pipe on the runner’s head, and he flipped him over with a giggle. “Hey, mate!” he said with an eternal grin, his orange spectral energy flickering under his mask. “You see a guy with a Misfits jacket? I marked ‘im, I need his arm.”

Immortal Jack didn’t need to breathe, but he sighed. The burn on the punk’s face was Scarecrow’s mark, and Darksiders did not poach other Darksider’s marks. “Didn’t realize he was yours, Scarecrow. Middle of a brawl and all.” He gestured to the jacket and dust.

Scarecrow limped over and prodded the ashes. “He was mine, dipstick.” He stood at his full height, and while he didn’t tower over Immortal Jack, Jack definitely wasn’t used to looking up to many people. “Gonna keep this,” he muttered and hauled the jacket on.

“Look, I’m sorry, I’ll get you another one. I’m hunting Los Muertos now, you can come along, take the first pick,” he offered. “They always travel in packs, I’m sure you’ll find some spare parts.”

Scarecrow, like Immortal Jack, was a Darksider, a remnant of the night that once ruled Earth. They were immortal entities feared by man, but now their numbers had dwindled. They had a loose community, and while they weren’t friends, outright, they didn’t battle each other or steal each other's marks.

“I’ll take you up on that offer. Ichabod Fawkes, Scarecrow.”

The Fawkes were a family well known for their explosive personalities and hobbies.

“Immortal Jack.” 

They shook hands, and Jack noticed how weak Scarecrow's grip was. 

“What happened to you, anyways?” Immortal Jack asked as he spotted the cricket glove he was using for a hand. “I heard you keep collecting parts.”

“Got cursed. M’head’s fine, but everything else just sorta rots a little, yeah?” Scarecrow explained. He pointed to his peg leg. “And nothing works. I can replace it, but it just rots off.”

“Only another Darksider can curse a Darksider,” Immortal Jack scolded.

“As I am WELL aware,” Scarecrow snapped. “Point is, I accept your generous offer. Where are we going?” he asked as he followed Immortal Jack to his bike.

“Los Muertos stole something of mine, and I’d like it back.” Immortal Jack resisted groaning as Scarecrow hopped on the bike behind him. “Hang on.”

Scarecrow wrapped his arms around Immortal Jack’s waist and they started to drive.

Luckily the ride was short, and they pulled up to the Plaza del Sol. It was an open spot, once a building that was now long gone, paved in colorful stone work and soft, winding patterns. A solar symbol rested in the middle, and it still radiated heat, even late into the night.

“Nice.” Scarecrow hopped off, and Immortal Jack had to grip his arm to stabilize him. 

Once Scarecrow got his footing, Immortal Jack dismounted and walked to the center of the plaza. He mused a little, and stomped a few times. “I know it’s here somewhere,” he mused to himself, and continued to stomp.

Scarecrow jumped in, stomping about, and he started clapping. “Traveling on a fried-out Harley, on a weird hunt for something. I met a dead man and he promised me parts, he took me in and now we’re on a lark. Now I search for a land down under! Where we go to loot and plunder! Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover!” he started to sing, and he cackled as he hopped in a circle.

“You done?” Immortal Jack sighed, and Scarecrow shrugged. “I could have sworn the switch was at noon. My contact said the knob is at noon. That’s ‘up’ on a clock.”

“Hee, knob!” Scarecrow said with a snorted chuckle. “Jackie, m’boy,” Scarecrow said, “it’s a circle. There is no ‘up’. This sun? It’s all ‘up.’” He spun in a circle, arms out, to demonstrate.

Immortal Jack narrowed his eyes in thought. He went to the center of the sun, and he started to scrape around with the heel of his massive boots. Finally he found something and took a step back. He stomped, and heard a satisfying click and some grinding.

Scarecrow hopped back as the rays of the sun started to sink, one after the other, forming a column of stairs that led into darkness. 

The pair descended slowly, carefully testing the steps. The only light in the stairwell was the red and orange Darkglow both possessed, emanating from their eyes and Scarecrow’s mouth.

Immortal Jack looked back to check the stairs, and he stared at Scarecrow. “What happened to your left eye? It’s not lightning up.” Immortal Jack’s own eyes were red, and the shadows they cast were grey.

Scarecrow’s left eye was dim and flickering. It was not a good sign; the Darkglow was not only an indicator of their nature, but also of their health. The blue shadows Scarecrow’s eyes cast were not very strong. He shrugged. “Part o’my curse, I guess. Can’t find new parts to put meself back together, and when I can, then I can’t seem to keep it together,” he said as he brushed by. 

Immortal Jack followed him. “Who cursed you?”

Scarecrow sighed, flapped his hand in a dismissing motion, and kept walking.

Soon they reached the bottom of the stairs, and Immortal Jack blew red Darkglow into his hand. He held it under a torch and snapped, and all around them the torches lit up. They were in the center of a round chamber, with twelve doors leading into the darkness.

“Did your snitch say which door to take?” Scarecrow asked. He was hunched over, hand on his chin, peering into the darkness of a tunnel.

“No, he did not.” Immortal Jack started to examine the frames. “Look for Los Muertos graffiti. They took him.”

“Took who?” Scarecrow asked, only to be answered in the same hand-flapping dismissal. “Fine, whatever.”

The two started to explore the doors, Immortal Jack going right and Scarecrow left, and they met at the other side of the stairs. Immortal Jack sighed and turned in a circle.

“Your snitch sucks,” Scarecrow said with a shrug. He pulled a large knife from his backpack, and with a supposed-to-be-mighty scream, chipped at a door frame. “Door one! Now we won’t get lost!” He thought for a moment. “Or at least we’ll know where we’ve been,” he muttered.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Immortal Jack growled as he breathed into his hand again. He ran his thumb along the door frame to mark it, and suddenly realized what he had done.

Scarecrow stabbed a finger at his own left eye, and Immortal Jack nodded.

“Right. OK, let’s go.”

Most of the tunnels led to dead ends or ruins, and Immortal Jack didn’t smell what he was after. Scarecrow couldn’t decide and didn’t really care; he was just there for Immortal Jack’s promise and to get himself a nice right hand. Not that it would do much with the curse, that is.

As they wandered down the fifth hall they could feel a chill growing, and purple Darkglow shimmered at the end of the hall. Los Muertos graffiti glowed along the walls at first, then the floor and ceiling the deeper they went. It soon became a light as bright as daylight, but it all ended at an oak door.

“Gotta be it,” Immortal Jack said quietly, and Scarecrow followed. 

Together they pried open a massive door, and the purple Darkglow seeped out into the hall. It was quite bright in the room, forming a pattern of straight and curved lines that Immortal Jack could barely make out. It was familiar, but he wasn’t sure why.

The round room was lined with artifacts and treasures, most of it hastily piled here and there, wherever they would fit.

Immortal Jack paused and took a deep breath, and felt something. He zeroed in on a pile and started to toss things aside, moving chairs, a table, and a massive desk that was at least three hundred pounds. He finally reached the coffin and ran his hands over it.

The wood was ancient yet strong, and several iron chains had been nailed around it.

“Oi, who’s in there?” Scarecrow asked. He had been busy shoving small nick-nacks and items into his backpack and overall pockets. 

“My husband. We got separated last year and I’ve been looking for him ever since.” Immortal Jack pulled his own knife out and started to pry at the nails, and felt a tap on his shoulder. “Thanks.” He took the machete Scarecrow offered him, then paused to look at it. It was the blade Scarecrow had chipped the door frame with half an hour ago. “Where did you get this?” he asked as he examined the handle.

“Got it from m’cousin Junkie. He’s got a lab overseas.” He watched as Immortal Jack pried at the nails, and finally got the last chain off. “That’s mine!” he snarled as the immortal one shoved it in his belt.

“It’s my brother’s,” Immortal Jack retorted as he tossed the last chain aside. 

Scarecrow grappled with Immortal Jack. “Jamison gave that to me! It’s mine!” he insisted.

They struggled over the weapon, but Immortal Jack held back; Scarecrow was already wounded and Immortal Jack had no desire to hurt him. 

“Will you stop? This belongs to my brother!” Immortal Jack insisted and shoved.

“Jamie gave it to me, it’s mine, now!” Scarecrow gripped Immortal Jack’s wrist, and suddenly leaned forward and bit him. He barely made a dent or scratched the rich, red leather.

Immortal Jack gave a shake and knocked Scarecrow to the ground.

The rail-thin Darksider crashed into a headless suit of armor which clattered around him.

“How did your cousin get my brother’s machete?” Immortal Jack demanded. He stood over Scarecrow, his Darkglow an angry halo edged in white, his eyes nothing but black voids.

Scarecrow was cowed. “Wait, Slasher Man is your brother?” he asked as he kicked a leg plate to the side. It took most of his willpower to look away from the deep shadows in the immortal one’s eyes. "Slasher's name is Jimmy?"

“Focus. Yeah. My brother. Been looking for him, too. And The Vampire.” Immortal Jack put the machete back into his belt. “How. Did. Your cousin. Get. Jim’s. MACHETE?”

Scarecrow tossed a helmet aside. “He works for the Good Doctor Junkenstein. Guards his treasures.” He rolled to the side and managed to stand up. “Has for a few years now.”

“Why?” Immortal Jack asked. “I’ve been looking for him for almost a decade!”

“My guess is it's when Jamie got that witch working for him.” Scarecrow finally untangled himself from the armor.

“The Witch of the Waste,” Immortal Jack mused. “She cursed you.”

Scarecrow kicked away a leg plate. “Stole something,” he muttered. “That knife really your brother’s?” The armor clanked as it rolled around.

“Yeah, it’s Jim’s.” Immortal Jack continued to pry nails from the coffin. “Do you have to be so noisy?” he asked as the clattering continued, and he turned.

Scarecrow was several feet away, shoving holodiscs in the pockets of his new Misfits jacket.

They both turned slowly to face the steel armor, now reassembling itself.

Immortal Jack gripped one of the chains and whipped it out, knocking an arm off and getting its attention. He continued to lash out at it as Scarecrow darted to the other side of the room.

The armor grabbed the chain and yanked, and Immortal Jack let go. The armor staggered backwards, and Immortal Jack took this opportunity to rip the lid of the coffin aside. 

A headless figure tumbled forward, and Immortal Jack caught him.

“Oh, Gabe, what happened to you?” he murmured, and ran his fingers over the cold iron plate capping the Horseman’s neck. He tried to get his fingers under the cap, but the cold iron cap stung his fingers through his gloves. “Scarecrow, I got what I came for, let’s go!”

He heard a crash and a shriek, and swore as he slung his husband over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Immortal Jack darted around the central pillar to see Scarecrow waving a chair at the animated armor. “Sorry, gorgeous,” he muttered and dropped the Horseman. He pulled his brother’s machete out and breathed on it, lighting it with his red Darkglow.

He charged in without a second thought, ready to piece to armor’s core, when a shield slammed into his chest.

The second armor, also headless, loomed over him, massive and bright, and hefted a massive hammer above him. 

The immortal barely rolled away before the hammer crashed down, dislodging dust and causing piled goods to topple over. “We gotta go!”

“Little busy, mate!” Scarecrow shouted as he dodged a crushing blow from the armor’s mace. He gripped the chain and looped it around the back of a chair before scrambling away. “They ain’t the brightest, nor fastest!”

Immortal Jack rolled to the side, dodging another hammer strike and scooping up the Horseman. He suddenly paused and looked at the Darkglow web of light around them.

He had assumed it was a seal pr spell to protect the room, but now he realized it was to animate the armor. That meant they were Darksiders, and the magic in the room was tied to them.

“Wait, I’ve heard of these armors! There’s a seal we’ve got to destroy in this room to free them!” he called and dodged another hammer strike.

“Still busy!” Scarecrow pulled a small device from his pocket and lobbed it. He didn’t damage the armor badly with the explosive, but it did scatter her. “Seal seal seal,” he muttered and looked around the room with his good eye. He followed the trail of energy to a mural on the wall. “Distract them, I’ll blow it up!” He pulled out another grenade and prepared to breathe into it.

“You don’t have the energy for that!” Immortal Jack insisted, and reached the door. He set the Horseman down just outside and returned to the room. “Over here, big guy!” He waved his arms and stood in front of the seal, and the larger armor charged at him. He grabbed Scarecrow and leapt to the side, and the armor crashed into the wall. 

The armor stood still for a moment, stunned, and Immortal Jack hauled Scarecrow to his feet.

“Down!” Scarecrow snapped, and Immortal Jack shoved him aside as the other armor’s mace face towards them.

He looked up at the sudden sound, and realized the large armor had blocked the blow with his shield.

The seal on the wall had shattered, and the larger armor was now free.

Scarecrow picked up a sword from the pile, and with a shriek that sounded like scraping metal, stabbed in into the wall and shattered the other seal.

Both armors stood still, silently filling with the Darkglow energy in the room. The light faded to a minty blue, the sickly purple bleeding out into the ether.

Scarecrow reached into the damaged wall and pulled out two helmets. “Here, mates, cheers.”

Once most of the Darkglow had been contained the armors took their helmets and put them on. They bowed, then turned and left.

“Well, that was an event.” Immortal Jack muttered. He and Scarecrow collected themselves and prepared to leave.

“That was the witch’s color,” Scarecrow said quietly. 

“She has my brother,” Immortal Jack said as he knelt by the Horseman. “And this is her seal.” He gently stroked the Horseman's shoulder, and held his hand to where his cheek would have been. He cradled the Horseman before lifted him.

“That plate, mate,” SCarecrow said, then giggled a little, “I know who can get it off without killing him. And get us to Adlersbrunn if we ask nicely.”

“Why Adlersbrunn?” Immortal Jack asked as they ascended the stairs to the plaza.

“It’s where my cousin Jamison Junkenstein lives. The witch works for him. Or so he thinks.” Scarecrow adjusted his weird half-goggles and looked up at the sky. “We gotta get to the port, mate, and fast.”

“All right, let’s just steal a car or something.” Immortal Jack led the way to the street, but no one was out at this odd hour. The pair started walking, Immortal Jack carrying the Horseman in a bridal carry, keeping a lookout for a ride.

A few miles later they crossed an ally, and someone whistled. 

“Hey, there, pal, what’cha got there? Anything good?” someone asked and stepped into the orange light of the street. He tapped his gun against the wall, summoning some shadows from behind him. His eyes went wide as he spotted Scarecrow, and his friends in the alley stepped forward. “What the hell type of freaks are you?” he asked once he spotted Scarecrow.

“The hungry type,” Immortal Jack growled, and set his husband on the ground.

The three men in the alley were easily dispatched, and Immortal Jack resisted marring them too badly. He braced a boot on the leader’s neck while Scarecrow lifted his right arm.

“Oh, this is nice, mate, just my size!”

The man, once so proud of himself with his gun and his backup, whimpered as Scarecrow pried his leather gloves off.

“So, we’re square?” Immortal Jack asked and adjusted the tension in his knee. "Hey, I want those."

Scarecrow handed the leather gloves up to Immortal Jack, then his shoulders dropped and he held the bare hand up.

It was covered with Neo-Nazi symbols and a Nordic tattoo.

“It’s the curse, Jackie,” he spat. “Stuff that WOULD fit, I don't want. I ain’t using this. You wanna eat him?”

“No, not really.” Immortal Jack sighed and pressed a little harder with his boot. He pulled his new gloves off and examined them for hidden symbols, and finding none, pulled them back up. “Wanna dump them off the bridge over there?”

The man beneath him started to whine.

“Hush up. Naw, too much work. Let’s just go, we gotta catch a boat.” Scarecrow dropped the arm and crouched down, putting his face close to the Nazi’s. “Well, maybe just a nibble.” Scarecrow inhaled.

Immortal Jack kept his boot firmly on the man’s neck as tendrils of white energy were pulled from the man, but before Scarecrow could absorb it the energy withered into purple dust.

Scarecrow let out a soft sigh and pulled back.

“Curse?” Immortal Jack asked.

“Curse.” Scarecrow had hardly absorbed enough life energy to replace what he had used to power his grenade earlier. He stood up and kicked the Nazi in the gut. 

“OK, you got a car?” Immortal Jack asked and the man nodded under his heel. “Which one? Keys, please. Try anything funny and I’m coming back to drop you off of a bridge.” He took the keys and walked to the blue Civic the man pointed at. He scooped his husband back up and walked to the car and placed him in the passenger seat.

Neither he nor Scarecrow were worried about getting caught; even being partially drained of life energy was a traumatic experience. The man would never be warm again.

The drive to the pier was quiet, mainly since the Horseman had no head and Scarecrow was pondering things. Finally, he spoke.

“I stole something from her, a music box. It had a ruby and a sapphire on the lid.”

Immortal Jack hummed as he turned a corner. “Now you can’t eat, and you can’t replace parts.”

“Yep.” Scarecrow sighed, then sat up straight. “There it is! The Lost Bastion!” He pointed to the empty water in the middle of the bay.

Immortal Jack pulled into the pier and carefully removed the Horseman from his seat. “You said there was a ship?”

“Hey, Jackie, can we sink it?” Scarecrow asked, his eyes flicking from the car to the immortal one. 

Immortal Jack nodded and adjusted the Horseman. “Yeah, go for it. I left the keys in the ignition.” He scanned the boats moored to the pier. “Which one is it?”

“Just send up a glowy flare, they should see you.” Scarecrow leaned in the car and turned it back on, then scavenged for a weight to put on the gas pedal. “Then someone’ll come and get us.”

Immortal Jack adjusted his husband, breathed into his hand and held it up, and a red flash leapt from his hand to the sky. Hopefully he only alerted the Darksiders on the ship, and not the other creatures of the night. 

The middle of the bay started to shift, and a glowing whirlpool appeared. A ship rose from the swirling mist and almost unfolded itself, its three masts and massive sails unfurling and snapping as it rose, lanterns along the sides and rigging flaring to life on in a ripple of glass and fire, and a winged figurehead drawing a sword and hefting a shield high. 

A pale green light flashed from the ship as Scarecrow plopped a brick on the gas pedal. He grinned up at the sky and kept one foot outside the car as he shifted gears , then let himself fall backwards with a cackle and a whoop as the car plunged itself into the bay. He then pointed to a green glow in the sky. “That’ll be Dutch. C’mon, Jackie, let’s meet the crew!”


	2. In the Lair of Doomfin

Both men watched as a green glow left the ship, and a foggy being lifted itself through the air and descended. His feet were bare and translucent, a pale sea foam green, the same as his body. The mist around him was the discontented color of the sky before a storm. Small urchins could be seen within his mist, as well as plant life and a few starfish.

“Oh,” he said in a rather disappointed tone. “Another Fawkes.” His beard twitched.

“Can it, Dutch, I gotta talk to your boss.”

The green figure groaned, and looked at Immortal Jack. His eyes trailed from Immortal Jack’s face to the Headless Horseman.

“I didn’t do this,” Immortal Jack said quickly. “I need this plate taken off of his neck. Then a ride to Adlersbrunn. I’ll pay a fair price.”

“That’s up to Captain Lindholm. Come along, all of you.” Dutch gestured and the mist formed around Immortal Jack and Scarecrow, cradling them and quickly transporting them to the ship. “Captain,” he said and gently deposited them on the deck. “I found a Fawkes.”

“Wonderful. Why did you bring him on board?” a short man with an impressive red beard snapped.

Dutch shrugged and floated back to the helm.

“Ah, same t’you, big guy.” He turned his attention to his guests. “What do you want, Fawkes?” the captain demanded. “And you?”

“I’m Jack, and this is my husband, Gabriel,” Immortal Jack started.

“Need the plate off his neck?” the captain guessed. He stomped up, tugged Jack’s arm down, and tapped the plate. 

“And a ride to Adlersbrunn. I’ll pay a price that’s fair.” 

The captain nodded. “I’ll give you a fair price. Welcome to the Lost Bastion. Follow me.”

“Fawkes, you cunt!” someone shouted from above, and a lanky figure dropped from the rigging. 

“You lunatic!” Scarecrow snapped, and both figures collided. “Who let a Fawkes in here?”

The figures jabbed at each other, and an older lady pirate sighed.

“Is anyone going to stop them?” she asked as they shoved each other around.

“I had no plans,” Immortal Jack said with a shrug.

“Eh, let’em get it outta their systems, Corsair. Dutch, break’em up if they get too violent. You, keep following.” Captain Lindholm led Jack below deck.

Meanwhile the cousins were still fighting. “Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!” Shiprat snapped and forced Scarecrow’s fist into his face. The wooden arm snapped and cracked off, and both cousins looked at it. Shiprat got off of Scarecrow, then hurled the arm into the ocean. “YEET!”

“Dipstick!” Scarecrow bellowed and flung himself onto Shiprat’s back.

“Get off, ya wanker!” Despite Shiprat’s best efforts he couldn’t get Scarecrow to let go of his dreads.

“Drongo!”

“Bogun!”

“Daft galah!”

“Ya drunken wombat!”

“Rubbish prawn!”

“Derro!”

The cousins lurched across the deck, snapping and grabbing at each other.

“Oh, enough of this,” Dutch snapped and gestured. The cousins were flung in opposite directions, and they both looked up at him.

“Oi, Dutch, what gives?” Shiprat asked. “Was just a brawl!”

“Yeah, mate, we was having a good time!” Scarecrow insisted. “It ain’t often I see Eddie here and we got time to make up!”

“C’mon, Ikky, let me find you a glove for an arm or something. Get you a good one.” 

“Thanks, Eddie.” 

The cousins got up, and Shiprat led Scarecrow down the stars, following the captain and Immortal Jack to the workshop. “Hammy!” Shiprat shouted, “I need an arm for m’cuzzie!”

While Shiprat and Hammond worked on an arm for Scarecrow, Captain Lindholm examined the Horseman’s head.

“Hm, this is that witch’s work.” The captain turned to his work bench.

“Can you remove the plate?” Immortal Jack asked, and his hand slid into the Horseman’s. He was almost certain the fingers tightened around his.

“Yeah, I can do it,” Captain Lindholm said. “But you’ll owe me.” He pulled out a few tools. “That bastard Doomfin stole one a’my crew, Baptiste. You get him back to me, we’re even.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Immortal Jack squeezed the Horseman’s hand again. He watched as the capital pulled the cursed nails from the plate, then pried the edges up. He knew he had no way of removing the plate without killing his beloved husband.

The captain’s tools glowed with his Darkglow, a smouldering red like magma. 

Immortal Jack felt the Horseman squeeze his fingers back once the captain pried the plate off.

Pale orange Darkglow swelled from the Horseman’s neck, and his hands started to flex as his shoulders rose and fell. A faint face, barely visible and crafted of orange mist, flickered into existence. 

“Gabriel,” Immortal Jack said quietly, and Gabriel turned to him and smiled. The face faded and the body slumped against Jack’s body, and Jack just held him. “Thank you.” His voice was quiet and he held his husband close.

Gabriel clung to him, arms under Jack’s jacket and fingers gripping his shirt tightly.

“I’ll get him a helmet. We don’t need him bleeding glow all over m’ship.” Captain Lindholm selected a helmet from his wall of repaired goods and handed it to Immortal Jack.

The helmet capped the Horseman’s Darkglow and helped him contain his energy, and Immortal Jack could see a change almost instantly. In a few hours the helmet would fill with his Darkglow, and the Headless Horseman would be at The Immortal’s side once more.

“You pair get some rest, I’ll set sail for Doomfin’s lair. C’mon, up, boys, I’ll put you up in a bed.” Captain Lindholm gestured for Immortal Jack to follow him again, and Immortal Jack hefted his husband again.

They could hear the Fawkes cousins bickering as they worked, and ignored them for now. They reached the deck and the Captain started giving orders, bellowing into a tube to the decks below.

“Hammond, get ready to leave port. Dutch, the helm. Corsair, sails. We are leaving port, crew!” He pointed to the cabin. “Inside, I won’t have dry landers wandering about while we’re working! Mako, weigh anchor!”

“Thank you, captain.” Immortal Jack carefully carried him to the cabin. He could feel The Lost Bastion tilt and shift around him as he set the Horseman on one of the beds. He ran his hand over the helmet’s cheek area, and the Horseman reached up and took his hand.

“Jack,” he said quietly, his voice echoing and quiet. He brought their foreheads together.

“I missed you.” They sat quietly, hands exploring each others’ features and clinging tightly to each other. Jack kissed where Gabriel’s lips would be, but got nothing but a chuckle.

“Soon. So tired.” The light in the helmet’s eyes flickered.

“Rest. I’ll watch over you.” He helped Gabriel lay down, then settled behind him, cradling him. “I’m glad I found you.”

“It was so dark. So quiet.” Gabriel’s voice held a note of sorrow in it. “I knew you’d find me.”

“I’ll always find you.” Jack stroked Gabriel’s shoulders and felt him relax.

They lay together, quietly enjoying each others’ warmth as the ship rocked and swayed around them. They could hear the crew conversing, calling to each other and giving commands. They could feel the waves and water around them, the wind through the gap in the window, and someone playing a lonely guitar. A woman’s voice cut through the air, singing in a voice as bright as a church bell.

Dutch was calling for a sail to be adjusted when a sharp whistle pierced the air.

“Gentlemen!” the lady called out. 

The ship’s movement changed, and right as Jack helped Gabriel sit up, the Captain entered the cabin.

“Alright, boys, you’re up.” He gestured for them to follow.

“What’s going on?” the Horseman asked as he stretched and popped his back.

“In order to remove the plate I owe the captain a favor. We have to retrieve a crew mate from a guy called Doomfin.” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “You don’t have to come, honestly. It shouldn’t take long.”

“I’m coming with you.” The Horseman strode after the captain, and Immortal Jack grinned at him, then jogged to catch up. “We won’t be parted again, not so soon.”

“Corsair, what do you see?” the captain was calling up to the woman.

“The lair is a few hundred feet below us,” she called from the rigging, glowing telescope in hand. “It looks like he’s there.” She expertly untwisted herself from the ropes and descended, landing confidently on the swaying deck. “I spotted the great white, the octopus, and Doomfish himself. I think there’s a squid.”

“Crikey!” Scarecrow said brightly, pumping his new arm in the air. “I’ve always wanted to fight a giant squid!”

Captain Lindholm gestured to Dutch, who sent Scarecrow flying off the deck with a flick of his fingers. “You can leave your boots in that chest there, no one will bother them.”

Immortal Jack took off his red jacket and boots and was ready to dive in. 

The Horseman removed his boots and long coat and set them aside, then pulled off his belts. He then had to remove the chaps the belts were holding up, and decided to remove the under chaps, as well. His gloves were in two parts, the arm cuffs and the hand braces, as well as the fabric gloves beneath them. He undid the multiple buckles so he could pull off his vest, revealing his silken blouse underneath. He looked up at everyone's impatient faces as he carefully unlaced his corset. “This is all custom leather,” he pointed out, “and I don’t want the laces to stretch. You can’t just rip these things out, no matter what my husband tells you.” He folded everything and set it in the chest.

“Ichabod’s drownin’,” the shark-headed Mako pointed out.

“This is silk!” the Horseman insisted as he undid his blouse. He was now in just stockings, pants and undershirt. “Besides, we can’t drown, we’re Darksiders.”

“The witch who cursed you also cursed him pretty bad, gorgeous,” Immortal Jack pointed out. “We should really help him.” He dove into the water gracefully, and the Horseman followed.

They swam down, gathered Scarecrow, and kept going. 

Immortal Jack let his Darkglow shine, leading them in the darkness, and the Horseman suddenly grabbed his ankle. 

A massive form cut the water in front of him, and he pulled back. The form turned, a massive man with the fins and tail of a great white shark, and he grinned at them. His chest and arms were covered with bands and patterns of dark ink, and his black hair held a single bold streak of white. His many teeth shimmered in Immortal Jack’s Darkglow, and he dove right through them, breaking their group apart.

The creature grabbed Scarecrow by his waist and flung him, allowing something else to snatch the lanky man from the darkness. He then turned to the Horseman and grappled with him. His tattoos glowed, streaks of red stabbing the darkness, before they shifted to a vivid orange. The sharkman tried to pull back, but the Horseman continued to absorb his energy.

Changing tactics, the shark man then darted down deeper, taking the Horseman with him, and Immortal Jack followed. He hurried into an underwater grotto, hoping to shake the Horseman, but had no such luck.

“I said get him off!” the shark man was shouting, all the while rolling and bucking against the Horseman.

Immortal Jack hauled himself from the water and tried to decide how to help.

He didn’t need to think long, as Doomfin hauled himself out of the water next to him. “What is going on here?” he demanded, and he raised a massive fist to Immortal Jack.

“My husband and I are here for a guy named Baptiste. The captain wants him back.”

The shark man finally got a grip on the Horseman and lobbed him across the grotto. “Baptiste is mine!” he snarled. “He isn’t getting away again!” He hauled himself on his hands, body perpendicular to the ground, and easily moved to a crystal surrounded by a cluster of shells, glowing spheres, and sea grass in the center of the grotto. It was an impressive feat given how muscular and huge his body was, and how quickly he moved.

“Look, he’s not yours, he’s a pirate. Or something. I don’t know.” Immortal Jack was tired. “Just let him have him so we can all go home.”

“I think not. No one leaves my pod.” Doomfin rushed forward, massive arm raised, and Immortal Jack rolled to the side. “We found him, we created him, he’s mine! Mauga, deal with them as you please!”

Mauga turned quickly, whipping his tail into the Horseman’s chest, flinging him aside and knocking his helmet off. He lunged forward, snapping his teeth, then pulled back after getting nothing but a mouth of orange mist. He then spat and pulled back.

The Horseman reached to his side, but he didn’t have the strength to manifest his weapons. He tried to dodge, but took a tail slam to the legs.

The immortal one wasn’t fairing much better. He was tired and not as fast as Doomfin, and the younger Darksider was easily landing punches the older one couldn’t block. He really missed his armored jacket as he took another crack to the ribs.

A massive tentacle rose from the waters and slapped itself down on the ground, and Doomfin grinned.

“Your time here is over!” he crowed, but was blindsided by the tentacle crashing into him. “Moira, control your pet!”

Pale red and blue glowed from the ceiling, and a form unwrapped herself from a stalactite. She drifted down, then slid into the waters.

Moments later she was flung violently into the grotto, and she gathered herself. Her red and blue Darkglow flashed as she drew her hands over herself. “That is not my kraken.”

“Mine, now,” Scarecrow said as he rose from the water, the tentacle fastened to his arm. The rest of the kraken floated behind him. “Got any more? The curse didn’t stop me from eating a giant squid!” His face was bright, shining with restored energy and Darkglow.

The immortal one was never so happy to hear that voice. He stood up and dusted himself off. “Look, here’s the deal. We’re not going anywhere without Baptiste. And you can’t kill us. Yeah, you can beat us, but we don’t need air. We don’t need sunlight. And the Horseman can siphon your Darkglow any time he wants. So, you want this to continue? I can do this all year.”

Doomfin looked from Immortal Jack to Baptiste and back. He was powerful, yes, but he was young and inexperienced compared to the immortal and the Horseman. He only wanted Baptiste, but he didn’t need him for his plans. “Mauga, we let him go for now. We can claim him later.”

Mauga fumed, then wrapped his body around the crystal, clinging to it. “He’s mine,” he hissed angrily, and stroked the crystal. “I found him, I brought him here, he’s mine!”

“Then why do you have to keep him prisoner in a crystal?” the Horseman asked. “You can’t force him to love you.”

Mauga carefully examined the crystal.

Baptiste looked angry in his false sleep, and Mauga slithered away quietly into the water.

Doomfin followed, but Moira remained behind. 

She watched as the Horseman and Immortal Jack reached into the crystal and pulled Baptiste out, then slowly made her way back into the water.

Baptiste had gills along his neck, and Immortal Jack set him in the water. He woke with a gasp, thrashing and kicking about, the Scarecrow wrapped him with his tentacle.

“Calm down,” Immortal Jack snapped. “We’re taking you back to Lindholm.”

“Who are you people?” Baptiste demanded, and collected himself. “Why do you have a tentacle?”

“I ate a squid,” Scarecrow said smugly. “C’mon, let’s get you home.”

It was obvious Baptiste didn’t trust them completely, but he was free from the crystal. “Where did Magua and Doomfin go?” he asked as he adjusted his clothes.

“We came to an agreement,” the Horseman said. “Now, we need to get back to the surface.” His tone left little room for argument.

The four swam back up to the Lost Bastion, supporting Baptiste and Scarecrow as needed, and they broke the surface of the water near the ship.

“Hey, ahoy!” Scarecrow called out, waving to the ship. “Eddie!” he called as he continued to wave to his cousin. “Don’t be mad, but I lost the new arm you made me!” 

“Well, that’s just rude of you, ya bogan!” Shiprat shouted down.

Scarecrow whipped his new arm out, slapping it against the side of The Lost Bastion, and hauled himself up.

“Oi, nice upgrade!” Shiprat exclaimed with a clap.

“Thanks, I fought a squid!” Scarecrow bragged as he rolled onto the deck.

The captain hauled Baptiste up, then looked at Scarecrow. “No.” He nodded to Baptiste. “You OK?”

“Yes, Captain, I’m fine. Just a little wiped out.” Baptiste shed water from his gills and shook his head. “Should be fine after a rest.”

“Mop that mess up, then get some food and some rest. All right you lot, we’re off to Adlersbrunn!” He started shouting commands and his crew responded. “You two, back in the cabin, last room on the left. We should hit land in five hours. Rat, set a course! Mako, Corsair, prepare to set sails! Dutch, what’s the sky looking like?”

Immortal Jack and the Horseman hefted the chest with their clothes, and quickly found the cabin.

As Immortal Jack reached for his jacket, Gabriel put his hands over his husband’s.

Gabriel used one hand to pull the helmet off, showing his face of swirling mist, made stronger by rest and Mauga’s absorbed life force. He took Jack’s face in his hands and pulled him closer.

Jack sighed eagerly as they tumbled to the bed.

They lay together, Gabriel tucked against Jack’s chest.

Jack wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s chest and held him close. “Got a lead on Jim.”

“We’ll grab him, them. Figure out what’s next.” Gabriel leaned his misty head back, and felt Jack inhale deeply. 

“I missed you,” Jack said softly and kissed the back of Gabriel’s neck.

They had most of a year to make up, and only five hours to do so.


	3. In the Castle of Junkenstein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Immortal Jack, the Horseman and Scarecrow reach Adlersbrunn and continue their search for Immortal Jack's brother.

“You boys did good, getting Baptiste back for me.” Captain Lindholm was standing at the bow of The Lost Bastion, his wife Ingrid beside him. Immortal Jack and the Horseman stood by him, watching the waters part before the mist that Dutch crafted to sail on. Scarecrow was whipping his tentacle at his cousin.

Sea foam and mist rose to meet the ship as the sun faded before them. They all watched as Adlersbrunn Port rose from the ocean before them, the lights of the city sparkling into existence as the sky darkened. Adlersbrunn Castle could be seen squarely planted on a mountain, but their goal was the misty tower of Junkenstein Keep all but invisible in the distance.

“Before you go, I made something for you.” He whistled sharply, and Shiprat shoved Scarecrow away, then brought up an item wrapped in cloth. “Ingrid said you needed something a little nicer than that old helmet.”

“You went and rescued Baptiste without question,” she insisted. “I had Torby make you something nice to thank you.”

“You already fed us,” Immortal Jack pointed out.

Ingrid had made them a fantastic breakfast, and while they didn’t need to eat, a good meal was always welcomed.

“Hush up and take your present,” the captain snapped, and he shoved the bundle towards the Horseman.

The Horseman took the cloth and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a hollowed pumpkin crafted from bright copper, a fierce face cut in the front and an enameled green stem on the top. 

The Horseman’s Darkglow brightened, pleased, as he admired the pumpkin head. “It’s magnificent.” He preferred real pumpkins, but this one was fantastically crafted. He pulled his helmet off, handed it to Shiprat, and pulled the pumpkin on. 

His Darkglow filled it instantly, his orange glow shifting to yellow, a sign his power was returning. “Perfection,” he hissed, his voice echoing and distant.

“Didn’t have time to make anything for you, Jack, but, you’re welcome on board any time.” He shook their hands, and when Scarecrow tried to shake with the tentacle, Captain Lindholm reached for his other hand.

Baptiste handed each of them a small glowing vial. “It’s not much, but it might help.”

“Healing potions are always welcome,” Immortal Jack said and tucked his bottle away.

“Glad to have had you. Get off my ship,” Captain Lindholm said as they entered the port.

The Lost Bastion came to rest in the middle of the bay, and Dutch glided down from the helm. “Are you ready?” he asked, but he didn’t wait before he gathered the three of them in his mist and ferried them ashore. Once they were on the ground he nodded and returned to the ship.

“Well, let’s steal a car and go get my brother.” Immortal Jack led the three to a seedy part of town.

  
They stole the car of the first person that tried to mug them. 

The Horseman insisted on driving, and Immortal Jack let him. They rode in comfortable silence, Jack’s hand on Gabriel’s leg. The Horseman’s Darkglow was brighter now that he had fed. 

Scarecrow, still sporting his tentacle, lounged in the back, singing along to the radio. After a few miles he leaned forward and stuck his head between the seats. “Hey, can I read the instruction manual?” Scarecrow asked, and Immortal Jack rooted through the glove box.

“Knock yourself out.”

“Thanks! I love knowing where the fuse boxes are! Makes them easier to find.” He gave a soft giggle as he used a sucker to hold the spin of the book.

They traveled quietly for most of an hour, windows down despite the cold, and finally the Horseman sighed.

“Hey, Ichabod?” Horseman asked after a long sniff.

“Yeah?” Scarecrow said and looked up from the manual.

“Lose the tentacle.”

Scarecrow sniffed and nodded. “That’s fair.” He lowered the passenger window, stuck his tentacle out, and it thumped against the car and road. He pulled a few stitches and the arm fell away, but the smell remained. “It works better when I’m not cursed.”

The tentacle flopped on the road, leaking his orange Darkglow, and finally came to rest in a ditch. “Bye bye, Tentacle Bob. I hardly knew ye!” He sighed softly. “Wait, go back, it’s got the manual!”

The Horseman kept driving. “Where did you find him again?” he asked as he adjusted the rear-view mirror. He wondered what the people who would find a massive tentacle miles inland would think, and why it had a Saab user manual.

Immortal Jack prodded his shoulder. “Hey, I’m not the one who brought home a cowboy, or his tiger friend!”

The Horseman kept his eyes on the road. “You leave Genji and Jessito out of this, they are good boys who never made the car stink this way!”

“Genji puked in the heat vents,” Immortal Jack pointed out. “Who knew tiger people had hairballs that big?”

“Da, Pa, stop fighting, you’re scaring me,” Scarecrow said from the back in a flat voice, and both men fell silent.

“Dibs on being ‘da,’” Immortal Jack said quietly, and both men suddenly burst out laughing. They had both found and raises many young Darksiders in their time on this Earth, what was one more?

“Well,” the Horseman said a few minutes later as they rounded the corner, “I think this is it. Crow?”

The castle had steadily grown in size, tall yet sprawling, and seemed to shift and change positions as the winding road brought them closer and closer. It now stood before them, dark and forbidding.

“Is anyone home?” Immortal Jack asked as he stepped out of the car. He rolled his shoulders and stared up at the few lights shimmering in the castle windows, then shoved his brother’s machete beck in his belt.

“Well, there WAS,” Scarecrow said and hauled himself from the car. His Darkglow was dim again, lasting only as long as he had the tentacle. “The place was full'a people. Couple of years ago some adventures came and shook things up. Jamie locked himself in his lab and let the witch take over things, and she hired lots of new people. But the scorpion princess met this fantasm girl, and they ran off together. And there was this enchanted armor? Not like the stuff we fought earlier, well, maybe a little, but, there was this gargoyle sheila and they just hit it right off. Then the witch bought a pair of tengu brothers, they bickered a lot, but they went off after a guy with snakes on his head and a jackaroo werewolf. Didn't know jackaroos came in werewolf flavor.”

Scarecrow nodded at himself. “Good thing, too, otherwise we’d have to fight them all in a giant all out special effects movie battle! It would be exciting, might take up the entire last third of the movie!” he said and jabbed the air several times with his left hand. “But, anyways, she hasn't needed any of them since she got this new guy."

"New guy?" the Horseman asked and looked around. He watched Immortal Jack as he walked towards the gate.

"Yeah, him." 

Right as Scarecrow pointed an orange glow slammed into the Immortal. They went tumbling down onto the gravel, trading blows and growling at each other.

“Hi, Jim,” the Horseman said, reaching down to grab Slasher’s wrist.

Slasher, in return, jerked his body to the side, grabbed the Horseman’s wrist, and flung him to the side. He slammed his fist into the immortal’s face one last time, then spotted the machete on the immortal’s belt. The Slasher slowly drew the blade as Immortal Jack groaned.

The Horseman picked himself up and dusted him off. "OK, James, that was rude." He reached for the back of his neck and gripped something invisible, and concentrated his Darkglow. He formed a handle and drew his arm up, and as he raised his arm vertebrae fell from the handle, forming a long whip. He gave the whip a snap and it glowed with pale yellow Darkglow.

“I got this,” Immortal Jack grunted as he got up. “C’mon, Jim, we’re taking you home.”

Slasher said nothing.

“Jim, you in there?” Immortal Jack asked carefully.

“I’ll be inside!” Scarecrow said, and quickly scampered off. 

“Hey, wait!” the immortal snapped and reached for him, and Slasher lashed out with his machete, cutting into the red leather and biting Immortal Jack’s left arm. “Bastard!” he hissed. He noticed the purple tint to Slasher’s skin.

The Horseman’s whip wrapped around Slasher’s wrist and hauled, and Immortal Jack rolled to the side, taking the machete with him. Slasher resisted, hauling back and dragging the Horsemen closer to him. His hand reached for the machete, but Immortal Jack had dragged himself away.

While the Horseman struggled to keep Slasher under control, Immortal Jack rolled to his feet and hauled the machete from his arm with a grunt. “Gabe, there’s something wrong with him!” He shoved himself to his feet. “He’s not in control of himself!”

“He’s also stronger!” the Horseman growled. Despite his best efforts the Slasher was dragging him closer, wrapping the spine whip around his arm and stepping backwards.

Immortal Jack rushed forward, and Slash stepped to the side and yanked, throwing the Horseman in his husband. Immortal Jack dropped the machete so he wouldn’t accidentally hurt the Horseman, and they both got back up. “”I noticed.”

Slasher exhaled orange mist and snatched it from the air, and it quickly morphed into a length of chain. He swung it and let go.

The Horseman blocked with his own whip, and several vertebrae cracked. Both men pulled back when Slasher pulled his chain back. The Horseman knew he still wasn’t strong enough to fight such a powerful enemy, even after absorbing the life force of the two men who tried to mug them in the port.

Immortal Jack breathed Darkglow into his hand and held it to the whip, and the bones reformed. As he blocked another blow Immortal Jack slammed his fist into his own twin’s face.

“That isn’t his usual mask! He likes one with a grill instead of holes over his mouth,” Immortal Jack said as he blocked a blow with his forearm. 

“Where the HELL did Ichabod go?” the Horseman demanded as he cracked his whip around Slasher’s ankle and hauled.

Immortal Jack fell on his brother and clenched his fist, crafting brass knuckles from Darkglow. He continued to rain blows on his brother.

Slasher finally reached up and grabbed Immortal Jack’s wrist and twisted, then rolled him to the side. He reached to the side and grabbed his machete and swung it wildly.

The Horseman snapped his whip, straightening it into a sword, and blocked the machete before it embedded itself into Immortal Jack’s chest. He then thrust down, pinning Slasher to the ground.

Immortal Jack got up and gripped the edges of the mask. He hauled, and Slasher started to scream. Immortal Jack almost let go, but he continued to haul.

The Horseman reached into Immortal Jack’s pocket and pulled out the healing potion, and poured it into the gap between Slasher’s face and the mask.

Lavender smoke rolled violently from Slasher’s face, and Immortal Jack continued to pull. The mask cracked then shattered, and Slasher froze as purple smoke poured from his mouth and eyes.

After a full minute he opened his orange eyes and lifted his hands. He eventually found his forehead and pressed on it. He closed his eyes and groaned happily as he massaged his forehead.

“Hey, Jim,” Immortal Jack said as he squatted on the ground. “You done being an asshole, now?”

“Yeah, I think I’m done.” He let Immortal Jack help him up. “Hey, Gabe.”

There was no doubt Slasher and Immortal Jack were twins. Despite having the same features and hair, Slasher had a horizontal scar across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. His Darkglow was also a vivid orange in contrast to Immortal Jack’s deep red.

“Can we leave now?” the Horseman asked.

“Um, no, we need to get Scarecrow,” Immortal Jack said sheepishly. “I stole his mark, and told him I’d help him get a new arm.”

Slasher and the Horseman understood the importance of fulfilling vows, and looked towards the castle. “Well, at least most of the others have gone. Some maniacs came through a few years ago and cleaned some of the others out, then everyone else just left. It’s just me and Raf guarding the place now. Raf’s still in there!” Slashed said, then bolted towards the castle.

“Rafael?” the Horseman asked and followed. He hadn’t seen his cousin in decades, and he hoped it was the same Rafael.

Meanwhile Scarecrow had found the crypt. He had pressed himself through the bars, his skinny body easily fitting in between the wall and a bent bar. It used to be a well-maintained room, but lately had only been used to store treasure. It looked like someone opened the door, lobbed whatever they had on hand inside, and left.

“And let’s see, let’s see,” Scarecrow said as he rooted through the mess. He felt a little out of breath from running from the fight with Slasher, but that weakness would be over soon. “Box, box, if I were a box, where would I be?” He tossed a few things aside, shoved a pot to he left, and rooted through a crate. “Music box, where are you?” he sang out, and knocked over a pile of books.

He missed his right arm.

He let out a cackle as he spotted the music box right where he stashed it. 

The noise covered the scratch of the coffin lid scraping open.

Scarecrow continued to mutter to himself as he moved through the chamber. He gathered a few items, an antique rifle here and a clock there, and he muttered as he pulled a small screwdriver to mess with them. It was hard to work with only one hand, but the Darksider managed.

A hand rose from the coffin and Scarecrow paused.

He turned and watched as a figure in a black mask and suit hauled himself from the coffin. “Go back to sleep!” he snapped and took a few steps backwards. He quickly shoved the music box shut and ran.

The figure sunk into the shadows and rose from the darkness in front of him, and Scarecrow cowered.

“Look, mate, I stole this, I need to give this back to the witch.” He held the music box out, and the figure looked at him, head tilted. “Tribute! Tribute for the witch!”

The figure pulled back, then gestured to the castle.

Scarecrow nodded and darted off. He scrambled away 

The Vampire watched Scarecrow leave. There was so little Darkglow in him it wouldn’t be worth the effort draining him. However, he could feel a surge of Darkglow in the courtyard. He sunk into the shadows and watched.

Three Darksiders were fighting at the gate. Their energy was familiar, but Vampire couldn’t string enough thoughts together to decide how. One was exceptionally familiar, and quite strong. Another wasn’t weak, but his Darkglow was low, a strong golden energy. The third was strong, stable, and a deep red, and he was strong. Vampire decided to go for him.

He slipped out of the darkness behind the red one, and grappled with him. He started to siphon energy, 

Vampire wasn’t expecting the golden one to grab him by the head and shoulders, though, and haul him off.

“Get off my husband!” the Horseman snapped and hauled his cousin away. 

“Wow, Raf,” Slasher said as he summoned his chain again. “I thought we had something special!” He held his boyfriend in a headlock and cracked the blast mask.

It was easy for three Darksiders to hold down Vampire and pry his mask off, despite Slasher losing most of his enhanced strength and the Horseman being in a weakened state. Vampire poured the rest of the healing potion into the cracks. 

The mask cracked and shattered in an explosion of purple mist, and Rafael lay still, stunned. He struggled to move, and Slasher dismissed his chain, pulling the Darkglow back into himself. Rafael rubbed his face, his sharp cheekbones and full lips and broad, handsome nose, and sighed, melting a little.

“You couldn’t do that sooner, mi alma?” he hissed at Slasher, and Slasher leaned down to kiss his forehead. 

Slasher twisted his lips and spat a little. “You still taste like the witch.”

“She twisted our bargain,” Vampire said as he sat up. “This isn’t what we traded for!”

“Do we really want to mess with her right now?” Immortal Jack asked. “And where the hell did Scarecrow go?”

Scarecrow was climbing the steps to the witch’s laboratory.

“And the rat returns,” a melodic said from on high. The Witch of the Waste slowly descended from her perch, her purple misty Darkglow surrounding her. “Why are you here?”

“Shiprat’s m’cousin,” Scarecrow snapped in defense. “I’m Scarecrow.” He took a step back as she glared at him. “Look, witchy-poo, I’m sorry. I stole yer music box and I was wrong.” He held the box out, the ruby and sapphire shimmering in the candlelight. “I’d like to return it to you.”

The Witch of the Waste glared down at him. 

“Now, you promised, I had to return your music box and you’d lift the curse you put on me!” He looked up at her. “That I earned,” he added quickly. “We are creatures of promises and oaths!” he reminded her. “I fulfilled my part of the bargain, you need to fulfill yours!”

“Very well,” she snapped as she yanked the box from him. She put it to the side on a table and flicked her fingers at him. “Take off your mask.”

Scarecrow did so, revealing a pleasant face with a strong nose and a scattering of freckles, his left eye was completely dim and barely open. A large nail was centered in his forehead, and he tilted his head up. He screwed up his face as the witch gripped the nail and yanked it from his forehead. 

She examined the nail as Scarecrow hauled his mask back on, then lobbed it over her shoulder. “There, you’re free. Never harass me again!” She pointed to the door and Scarecrow eagerly darted away. Once he was gone she straightened her hat and skirt, then reached for her box to open it. 

He ran through the courtyard and skidded to a halt in front of Slasher. “You normal now?” he asked, and Slasher nodded. “We need to go, we need to go!” Several lights had snapped on and they could hear an furious shriek.

“Wait, did you return what you stole?” the Horseman asked as Scarecrow ran towards the car.

“Yes, we need to go!” he said as a small explosion rattled the windows.

“You rigged it to explode?” Immortal Jack asked as he pointed to the car.

“Well, I AM a Fawkes, after all.” He watched the smoke pour from the window and continued down and out of the courtyard and to the car. “Are we leaving or waiting for witchy-poo to recover and come at us?”

“Us?” Vampire snapped.

“Yes, us,” Scarecrow said in a dangerously low voice. “John here made me a promise, mate.”

Immortal Jack paused, and he turned to face the Horseman. “You’re right, I did. Gorgeous, I’m sorry, but I did promise him a new hand and leg since I stole his mark. So we’re stuck with him until then.” He jabbed his thumb at his twin and Vampire. “You guys are free to go.”

“A nice one,” Scarecrow insisted. “You said a nice arm!”

“Well, how are we getting back to town?” Slasher asked, and he pointed at the sedan. “We won’t all fit in that.” He looked Scarecrow up and down. “Unless you fit in the trunk.”

“I ain’t sitting in the boot again,” Scarecrow insisted.

A window opened near them. “Why are you still here?” Junkenstein shouted from the window. “Get lost, you sad tossers!”

“We are working on it, dipstick!” Scarecrow shouted back.

“Quit blowing up my shit, Ichabod!”

“Your entire family is like this, isn’t it?” Immortal Jack sighed. “OK, so, how about this. We take the Saab, you three sit in the back, and then once we get to town, Gabriel and I steal a new car, and you can have this one,” Immortal Jack offered, and Slasher reached for the keys. “You like German cars.”

“I’m driving,” the Horseman insisted.

“Fine. It’s not my bike, but it’ll do.” Slasher sat in the back seat and gagged a little. “What IS that smell?”

“Oh, well, mate, see, I fought a giant squid,” Scarecrow began.

Vampire went to sit down and coughed, and promptly changed forms, shifting into a bat. He let Slasher pick him up and tuck him into his jacket.

“I bet Raf has never been so glad he fits in your jacket,” the Horseman muttered, somewhat jealous. He sat down in the driver’s seat and put the window down. “C’mon, let’s get a bite to eat.”

“First people that try to mug us?” Slasher asked and adjusted his seat belt so it didn’t crush Vampire.

“Same old, same old.” Immortal Jack flopped down in the passenger seat.

“Beats leftovers,” Scarecrow said and managed to get his window down.

The Darksiders drove off, eagerly looking for a fight. 


End file.
